Edited 6/10/07
Chapter 3: Battle in the Church

Meanwhile, Jean and Rahne were visiting the old church in Baygar where Scott was staying. Jean pushed the old wooden doors open, and Rahne ran down the aisle and to the part of the church that held a small garden clustered with gold and white flowers.

As Rahne examined the flowers, Jean noticed a discarded bandage lying on top of a box.

"Does Scott live here?" The young girl asked.

"I guess he does." Jean answered, but she was somewhat distracted.

"What's that?" Rahne asked, having noticed the bandages too. She picked them up and looked at Jean. "Just like Dorian…is Scott sick?"

"Why didn't he say anything?" Jean mused.

"Did he leave 'cause he's sick?"

"No…I think he just wants to fight this on his own…no…I don't think he will…."

Rahne looked at her. "Jean…?"

Then the woman smiled at her, saying, "It's nothing. Come on, Rahne."

"But Scott's not back yet!" Rahne protested.

"I know Rahne, I miss him too. But if he does come back…"

"Then we'll all go home!" The girl finished.

"But first…" Jean smiled, "He'll get a stern talking to."


Meanwhile, in the lodge near Curin, Fred and Todd laid sprawled out on the floor in pain, as Pietro approached Jason, who didn't seem at all perturbed by the commotion.

"If there's one thing I can't stand," Pietro said, "it's liars."

"I'm very sorry. This time you'll get the truth: the object you seek fell from the helicopter when we were running from you. I'm afraid we were careless."

"Is that so?"

"I swear it."

"Then swear on these," Peitro smirked, throwing the blood-stained ID cards of Tabitha and St. John on the ground in front of Jason, who now seemed a bit perturbed.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"It's simple. We need Father's power because the Gathering is coming up very soon."

"Gathering…"

"All my brothers and sisters with Father's cells will gather, and together we'll take our glorious revenge on the planet! We've already sent out the invitations, but we can't seem to locate the guest of honor." Pietro told him.

"What do you mean by invitations?"

"The Legacy Virus, of course, but you know all about that. Father's memort lives on in the Terrigan Mist and makes it happen. He does so much for us, and we don't know where to find him! But what can we do? We're just remnants of his legacy. Until we can find him and receive his cells, we can't be whole again. The Legacy Virus and a lmemory aren't enough for a true reunion, after all."

"What do you mean by that?"

Pietro looked surprised. "But sir, surely you've noticed…"

He got on his knees and lowered his head. As he slowly looked up, his facial features seemed to shift and alter until it was the spitting of Erikroth AKA Magneto…



Thunk.

Somewhere else, Scott replaced the sword that Pietro had kicked down earlier.

"I said I'd live both our lives…heh…that was an easy promise to make."

His memories wandered back to a man named Alex, his close friend who had been a member of GUARD, but had given it all up in order to protect Scott.

"So you wanna be in GUARD, huh? Hang in there."

"…You okay?"

"So Scott, what are you gonna do when you get to Baygar?"

"Hey Scott… we're friends, right?"

"SCOTT!"

"Ugh…" the young man fell to his knees, holding his arm in pain.


Back at the church, Jean and Rahne were sitting around, waiting, when Cain suddenly burst in. Jean moved the younger girl behind her as the man approached.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here. Wanna play?" There was a pause. "…Guess not. Where's Father?"

As he moved towards them, the two back up into the flowerbed. Cain spotted the flowers and grimaced. "Yuk…" Shaking his head, he growled, "I won't ask again. Where's Father?"

"There's no one by that name here." Jean said firmly.

Cain smirked. "Alright, a playmate. Let's play."

"Rahne, hide somewhere and don't come out until it's safe, understand?" She told the younger girl, who nodded before running for safety behind a pillar. Jean then pulled on a pair of black leather gloves and got into a battle stance. "Ready when you are."

"This is gonna be fun…"

Then she rushed at him, but Cain blocked her attack with one massive arm. But she kept striking, using telekinesis to chuck some benches at him, and forced the bigger man backwards.

"Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" Cain roared angrily.

(AN: (Sweatdrops) Yeaah, I'll admit I couldn't resist putting that line in.)

Jean responded with a kick to the face, and Cain struck her, sending the young woman sliding back into the flowerbed. Jean brushed the blood off her lip and then rushed towards her opponent, who dodged her attack by jumping into the air and landing several feet away.

The young woman then gave him another kick to the face and knocked him into the wall before pressing the attack, jumping off the walls and running towards Cain, flip-kicking him, then striking again…Cain however blocked her attack again, pushed her back a few feet before kicking her.

He then struck with a powerful punch, which Jean barely dodged. She was able to jump off his head, but he grabbed her by the ankle and whiled her about like a bola before chucking her at the back wall. Jean managed to land on it, kicking up flower petals in her wake.

She sprang forward, knocking Cain to the ground and leapt into the air, only to pile drive her enemy into some benches.

"Jean!" Rahne emerged from her safe spot behind the pillar and rushed towards the older woman…

Suddenly, a strange sound filled the air, a cheerful, victorious sort of noise. Cain emerged from the pile of benches, holding a cell phone, which was going off. He put it to his ear and began speaking through the reciever, momentarily distracted.

"Hello? No, she's not here. What? I am not crying! Fine, fine, I'll bring the girl." He put away his phone and turned to face the other two. "Now, where were we?"

He threw a bench at Jean, who stopped it with her telekinesis, and threw it aside...all of a sudden, Cain was behind her, and struck…

Rahne watched, horrified, as Jean started to fall…but then Cain was suddenly there, and hit her through a pillar, where she fell into the flower bed.

Smirking evilly, Cain strode through the flowers and lifted Jean by the front of her top, ready to deliver the final blow…when something hit him in the back of the head.

He turned to see Rahne, who, out of desperation, had opened the box, which was filled with M'krann Crystals, and had chucked one at his head. With a nasty grin, he dropped Jean and made his way over to where the young girl was standing…

(AN: Yeah, I couldn't decide what to use for Materia...hope this fits.)

Jean weakly pushed herself up, watching as the evil man stepped closer to Rahne…

"Rahne! Run!"


Somewhere else, Dorian gasped out in pain. He had only gone out to get some fresh air, but now it seemed his illness was paining him worse than ever.

Just then he heard footsteps. Looking up, Dorian saw a young girl of Native American descent walking towards him, with a silver-furred wolf plushie dangling from her hand by one paw.

"You have it too, right? Come follow me, they're gonna fix us right up."

She grabbed him by the arm and led him over to where a big truck was parked. Children milled around it, talking happily.

Victor stood at the front of the truck, impatiently drumming his fingers on the hood.


When Scott returned to the church, the first thing he was aware of was that the place was a wreck. Then he saw the figure lying motionless among the flowers, and his heart almost stopped.

Breathing heavily, he ran to Jean's side and lifted her up. "Jean…Jean!"

Slowly, the young woman's eyes flickered open. "You're…late…" she said weakly.

"Who did this?"

"I…dunno…he didn't say…and I didn't get a chance to read his mind…" Suddenly, she sat up, and yelped, "Rahne!" Then she fell back into Scott's arms.

"Damnit!" Scott swore loudly.

But as he was about to pick her up, the Legacy Virus struck again, this time, it was worse than before, sending a blinding pain up and down his entire body. Scott almost swore he saw his cells (or were they Ensabanur's cells?) dripping from his hand and onto the flowers, leaving blackish stains.

Ugh…What's… happening to me? It hurts…make the pain stop…please!

With a groan, he collapsed on the flower bed next to Jean, his consciousness slipping away rapidly…


Behind a ruby-tinted visor, Scott's eyes snapped open. From what he could tell, he was in one of the bedrooms above Seventh Haven. Jean was lying next to him, sleeping peacefully.

As he sat up, he realized they weren't alone. Fred and Todd were standing in front of them, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

"You're kinda heavy, ya know?" Fred said, breaking the ice.

"Hey…didn't you have some kids living with you?" Todd piped up.

"'Cause they're not here." Fred added.

"Aren't you worried?"

"I…" Scott looked down at the sleeping Jean.

Fred sighed. "You're a handful, you know that?" And with that, he and his partner strode out the door.

To be continued…